Telephone headsets permit the use of a telephone microphone and earphone while freeing the user's hands for other activities such as note taking and computer keyboard entry. The earliest forms of headsets included an earphone portion which included an over-the-head band which positioned a speaker adjacent the ear of a user and a microphone portion which rested on the user's chest and which included a "horn" to conduct sound from the user's mouth to the microphone. As the technology progressed, the headsets became smaller and lighter and the modern headset now includes a ear support portion which rests on the ear of a user and which positions an earphone against the ear of a user without the use of an over-the-head band. The microphone portion of a modern headset may include a microphone at the end of a boom attached to the ear support, or alternatively the microphone may be positioned within the ear support and sound brought to it from the user's mouth by way of a hollow boom.
The concern today is to make the headset as non-intrusive and comfortable as possible. In such an attempt to make the new headsets more comfortable, the ear support has been contoured to better fit between the pinna of the ear and the mastoid process of the skull and has been made to adjust to a wide variety of ear sizes. However, the boom microphone and the electrical cable apply torques to the ear support which tends to dislodge the headset from the ear of the wearer. This tendency reduces the comfort level of the wearer.
The present invention provides a headset in which the ear support is adjustable to fit a variety of ear sizes without affecting the balance of the ear support on the ear of the wearer.